Goose loads (steel BB - steel T) for coyotes?

[A strange person]

I'm experimenting with different loads for hunting coyote (and similar size creatures). Right now, Federal's 12 pellet 00 "flitecontrol wad" load and Fiocchi's 27 pellet nickel-plated #4 load have both proven to be adequate for the purpose at an honest 50 yards in my patterning tests.

However, I like fixing things that ain't broke. There are alot of reasonably priced goose loads out there consisting of Large steel shot sizes (BB-T). These would obviously give an appreciably better pattern, but I'm wondering if they would give the penetration needed to take down a coyote out to 50 yards or so? They don't need to through-pass, in fact, I'd rather they didn't. Coyotes definitely aren't "tough" creatures, just quick and smart. I am of the philosophy to use shot loads that give the tightest pattern possible without skimping on penetration, as opposed to using the best penetrating loads without skimping on pattern.

Anyone got any penetration testing info on loads like these?

Oh, and I'm not interested in expensive tungsten ammo, so don't bother mentioning it.

 

[627PCFan]

Would it knock a coyote down, probably. Would the coyote stay down? Maybe. Steel looses energy pretty fast. Id go minmium F shot if you can find it, but would prefer #4 buck and a investment in a good choke.

 

[chas08]

Steel T-Shot will pass all the way through a Snow Goose at 50 yards. I've seen it many times! I doubt it would perform better than #4 Buck!

 

[A strange person]

Steel T-Shot will pass all the way through a Snow Goose at 50 yards.

That's what I thought. A coyote's boiler room sure isn't a whole goose's worth of thickness under it's skin.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

From my own limited experience. I once caught a coyote with one of my chickens in his mouth at about 60 yards. I let him have both barrels of T steel and saw both patterns were centered on the coyote. It may have been too long of a shot, as the patterns were maybe 6' across.

He kept running. (Oddly enough, I missed the chicken on the first shot and she lived.) The coyote may have died later as one of my dogs found a coyote corpse some weeks later on the river bottom about 400 yards from where I shot him. (We were planning my son's wedding in the meadow, and one of my dogs strutted proudly up with this dried up corpse in his mouth .)

I know also from experience that #4 buck works better.

 

[Virginian]

I won't use steel on anything.

 

[Salmoneye]

Hevi-Shot 'Dead Coyote' loads:

http://www.cabelas.com/shotgun-ammunition-hevi-shot-dead-coyote-ammunition-2.shtml

 

[A strange person]

From my own limited experience. I once caught a coyote with one of my chickens in his mouth at about 60 yards. I let him have both barrels of T steel and saw both patterns were centered on the coyote. It may have been too long of a shot, as the patterns were maybe 6' across.

He kept running. (Oddly enough, I missed the chicken on the first shot and she lived.) The coyote may have died later as one of my dogs found a coyote corpse some weeks later on the river bottom about 400 yards from where I shot him. (We were planning my son's wedding in the meadow, and one of my dogs strutted proudly up with this dried up corpse in his mouth .)

I know also from experience that #4 buck works better.

Well I'm glad to have heard an actual experience, anyway. Maybe I'll save the goose loads for geese. Or, maybe not. I'm definitely not afraid to experiment on coyotes; half the point of hunting them here in the east is simple eradication.

Given the increasing popularity of shotguns for the purpose, especially in the east, but even out west too I hear, I'm surprised there aren't more dedicated coyote loads available factory loaded. It seems to me that a heavy load of lead T through F would be just about ideal, especially when paired with range-enhancing features such as Federal's "flitecontrol wad", or something. I feel like a turkey hunter in decades past; just improvising. There's always handloading I guess.

 

[MCgunner]

Steel T-Shot will pass all the way through a Snow Goose at 50 yards. I've seen it many times!

I'll confirm this. Pretty awesome seeing an exit hole on a goose after farting off with BB steel for years. I shoot steel Ts by preference over hevi shot, just as deadly and 1/3 the price. That matters to me for goose hunting. Coyote, well, you don't shoot that much. Might consider using the hevi shot loads like dead coyote. Nothing wrong with 3 buck loads in 20 gauge, either, which is what I keep handy for human intruders.

 

[sugarmaker]

Coyotes will run off every time with any legal birdshot at ranges over about 30 yards. As a teenager that's all I had so it's what I used, pretty cruel, wouldn't do it now. 4 buck is pretty good stuff for coyotes, coons, chucks, skunks, porcupines...produces quick results and they don't run off and die under my shed.

 

[MCgunner]

Coyotes will run off every time with any legal birdshot at ranges over about 30 yards. As a teenager that's all I had so it's what I used, pretty cruel, wouldn't do it now. 4 buck is pretty good stuff for coyotes, coons, chucks, skunks, porcupines...produces quick results and they don't run off and die under my shed.

Steel T shot is not really your grandmother's bird shot. It hits hard. It's .20 caliber vs .22 caliber for 4 buck, though it's steel and is not as dense as lead. But, it's not 7.5s, that's for sure. It should be DRT at 40 yards with a good upper body hit.

A problem with T shot, less than 70 pellets in a 3" 12 gauge. I shoot 85 pellets in a 10 gauge 3.5" shell on geese or something like 82 I think in a 3.5" 12 gauge.

 

[Virginian]

Before tungsten arrived, I shot a lot of 'T' steel, mostly out of a 10 gauge. It was in a class by itself for swans and big geese. But, it wasn't in the same league with the tungsten loads. After tungsten arrived, I went back to a 3" 12 gauge.
I hate coyotes, but I can't bring myself to take anything less than what should be a killing shot. There are quite a few people that anything from #8 at 35 yards on up I wouldn't feel bad about, but not animals.

 

[A strange person]

Coyote, well, you don't shoot that much. Might consider using the hevi shot loads like dead coyote.

I employ that philosophy sometimes, especially with turkey ammo, but Hevishot really crosses the line in terms of price for me personally. Every single shot costs as much as buying lunch at my favorite Chinese restaurant. Just doing basic patterning tests with the stuff would bankrupt me. Plus, any good coyote load is likely to be put to a number of different purposes in my hands. The market really just needs a good 3" T or F load in plain ol' lead, expressly for coyotes and similar game. Something like that would be pretty much ideal for home defense in my opinion as well.

 

[MCgunner]

4 buck comes close enough to T shot and it's available in lead. I feel your pain on the hevishot. Well, I was using BB Federal tungsten/iron up until maybe 5 years ago, whenever the price skyrocketed. I don't hunt geese more'n 4 or 5 times a season, mostly duck hunt, so I didn't wanna buy another gun just for geese. BUT, I was getting that stuff from Mack's Prairie Wings for about 13.50 a box of 10, which for limited hunting wasn't a back breaker for me. Then, the metals market started up and with it Tungsten shot went over 25 a box, might be 30 now, haven't looked and, well, I figured I could pay for that 200 dollar H&R 10 gauge with only a few hunts considering T steel for it is 25 a box of 25 and I also now have a MEC in 10 gauge and can save a lot loading that gauge.

We're trying to buy a house and some acreage up between Hallettsville and Eagle Lake Texas. Now, Eagle Lake is a goose hunting mecca and I figure I might lease in to a goose hunting club if I get up there and, if so, I'll be shooting big stuff a lot more. The savings will be a matter of affording to hunt at all at that point. LOL I also have acquired, recently, a 3.5" 12 gauge Mossberg 535 which gives me another option, but that 10 sure does pattern well.

Now, for coyote, me, I'd use my .22 mag Remington 597 with 3x9x40 Bushnell Trophy. Talking 50 rounds for 10 bucks and 100 yards effective. Shotguns are great, I love shotguns, but for me they're for the birds. I tend to think rifle for ground critters and that includes turkey. Rio Grandes can be hunted with a rifle in Texas. Easterns in east Texas, a shotgun is required by law.

 

[One_Jackal]

I just use any buckshot I have on hand for coyote. Get the 15 shot party packs at walmart.